The Sole Survivor Protocol
by randomshtuffguy
Summary: Another hundred years have passed. The savior of the Commonwealth lies bedridden and aged. His legacy must be completed…his final plan of action fulfilled. A plan to save the people of the wastes, once and for all.
1. Legacy of a Warrior

Sole Survivor Protocol

A heart monitor softly beeped.

The door to the room slowly swung open, to reveal a family. A little girl and her parents. Come to see the former savior of the Commonwealth. Third one today, and it was only six in the morning.

Three flags were raised in the outskirts of Diamond City. The canned sound of a bugle echoed throughout the stadium, announcing the colors as they rose. People gathered around. Everyone stopped what they were doing, just for a moment.

At the very top flew a masterfully crafted American Stars and Stripes. The flag of the great nation, before it fell to a nuclear holocaust, and the world was changed. That moment…three hundred years had passed since that moment. And the few civilized people of the Commonwealth recognized the flag still. Even now, a similar such spectacle was occurring in Goodneighbor. Home of the outcast. The drifters, the unwanted. On a large screen in Vault 81, a recorded video of the ceremony played, and the unending work of the dwellers was paused, in consideration for days past.

The second flag flew proudly next to the first. Years of hard work, diplomacy, and dedication by many parties made the second flag fly true. The Vitruvian Man, to symbolize the Institute. A sword, surrounded by gears-the unmistakable insignia of the Brotherhood. A lantern in a circle…an homage to the roots of the agency known only as the Railroad. And the cross of the musket and the lightning, a banner for the resurrected Minutemen. An unholy alliance, at one time thought to be completely impossible by most, and very unlikely by everyone else. And yet, they had unified. Against all odds, they worked side by side, in hopes of one day rebuilding the Commonwealth and paving the way for civilization to continue. The flag of the Unified Commonwealth. Truly a sight to behold.

"Our little girl wanted to talk to you, Sole Survivor."It was difficult, seeing someone who was once the rallying force of a torn and decrepit nation, the rallying call of the Commonwealth, degraded to such a state. And yet, despite his condition, despite everything he was going through, still he did not remove his gas mask and helmet. Still he lay dressed in worn combat gear, as though ready to jump out of the bed and fight the scum of the Earth, like he always had.

The third flag hung limp. And yet, many thought it to be the most important. The most symbolic. The one most worth fighting for.

The parents left the room. Uneasily, the daughter who could not have been older than 12 shifted from foot to foot. "Um…Sir? I just wanted to say a couple words to you…"

A sudden gust of wind rushed past the flagpole of Diamond City. The worn fabric of the third flag lifted, if just for a moment. For a split second, all observers saw it in its glory. To an outsider, it would look simply like a gas mask and a helmet. This same outsider would be very confused at how the people of Diamond City dropped their heads in respect. But the true meaning was lost on none. Across the land, Raiders and Gunners alike flinched involuntarily at the knowledge that the flag of a savior had flown, that for one moment he lived again in his full glory and had come to provide justice to their barbaric practices. The flag of the Director of the Institute. The Elder of the Brotherhood. The General of the Minutemen. The leader of the Railroad. The de facto patriarch of the largest plot of land since the nukes dropped.

The legendary Sole Survivor.

Destyni was overcome with nervousness. "I…I just want to say that…our family is really grateful for all you've done. You…saved the wasteland. So many people have been saved by your generosity."

She almost yelped when the subject turned over in his bed to look at her.

"What's your name?"

"I'm…My name is…Destyni…"

* * *

"Kid, this plan you've got…I'm not even sure it will work. The Sight can't reach that far."

The Sole Survivor slammed his hands on the table, surprising but not startling Mama Murphy.

"I don't need to know if it will work. Who do I need to look for? When the time comes…who will be the one to carry the burden? Who will save the Commonwealth, and execute my plan? Please…please do just this before you give up the chems."

Relaxing into her chair, Mama Murphy took the hit of jet. Secrets of the future…fate itself unraveled for her to see plainly. This would be her final time using her gift. The final, and most absolute prediction made by the woman gifted with the Sight.

"She will be able…she will be willing. She represents your legacy, everything you've done and will do. She will be the one to carry out your plan. There will be troubles…there will be consequences." Squinting her eyes, the old woman frowned. "When destiny comes knocking, you will do well to answer. For she alone will have the pure soul and the mental strength to carry out your final testament to the world."

* * *

It took immense effort, but the Survivor shifted his weight. He directed his full attention to the girl before him.

"Tell me…what would you do if I told you there was a way to save me?"

Gasping, the girl stepped back. He had not addressed anyone like this since he had been bedridden. But gathering her strength, she answered truthfully.

"I would scour the Commonwealth and beyond. You're the banner of ages past, present, and future. It would be an…an honor…to do anything in my power to help you."

Slowly, but surely, the former Vault Dweller lifted his mask.

The fiery eyes, a trademark of his expression…his chiseled face, his perfectly groomed beard…they were gone. All that remained was a husk. He was old…older than could be believed. Nothing of his glory, his hardened battle expression, could be found on this face of an ancient, tired man. He could be mistaken for a feral ghoul.

"I've fallen, Destyni. There's nothing left of me in this body. But there's one more thing that needs to be done. One final action I must take on behalf of the commonwealth."

The decrepit old man raised his trembling arm, on which a Pip Boy still rested upon.

"Eject."

A holotape slid out of the slot in the arm-mounted database. Painted a steely green, no words were printed upon it. No instructions were given. He reached across his chest and grasped the holotape firmly in his right hand. Bringing it over to the bewildered girl at the side of his bed, he slowly pressed it into her hands.

"Destyni. The challenges you will face on this journey will be harsh. But you will pull through. This holotape contains the last of my life. Follow the instructions within to the fullest, and never, ever waver from your path. I believe in you." The symbol of a war, of a nation, of hope itself, rested back on his bed, and closed his eyes.

The whole way back to her house, Destyni said nothing to her parents. They asked her how the meeting had went, and she would simply smile and nod. Upon entering the house, her parents went into the room adjacent to hers, to cook dinner on a barely working oven. Getting into a chair, Destyni swiveled around, and accessed the family terminal.

AWAITING INPUT

With a hint of hesitation, Destyni swallowed and pushed the blank holotape into the slot at the base of the terminal.

Loading Holotape…

Sole Survivor Protocol has been initiated. Please proceed to the next screen to receive your instructions.

(A/N: I'm going to try my hand at writing something with an actual plot. Unbound Dremora will continue to update, but this idea has been bouncing around in my head for a while. I decided I would throw it out there and see what the response is like.)


	2. A Raiders Honor

Chapter 2: A Raider's Honor

"The Survivor was foolish to entrust the formula to you, raider."

The redhead laid on the floor, broken and bloody. To be honest, Cait somehow always knew it would end up this way. She had a good run. Couple of decades with the Survivor. Former master of the Combat Zone. Even recovered from her chem addiction, albeit with significant difficulty and a severely painful machine. God, her ears wouldn't stop ringing…

"We've broken the lock on the strongbox. We have your piece, now. With the other three in our possession, there is really nobody who can stand in our way. You've failed. We toppled your little gang here with almost no effort, and you, the so called "legendary fighter", fell to me in a matter of seconds."

Whoever was talking to her sure wouldn't quit running their gab. Couldn't they see she was rapidly dying from severe organ damage and blood loss? The nerve of some people…

"WAKE UP AND LISTEN TO ME!"

Cait's bloodshot and bleeding eyes stayed closed. With a strain in her voice, she began talking. "I heard ye' the first time. Ya don't need to repeat yourself."

The challenger arched an eyebrow. "Your skull's been smashed in, your legs are snapped in half, you're bleeding from a thousand bullet wounds and your arm has been torn off. You should be suffering beyond belief right now, and yet, you're calm?"

The once beautiful lady, her figure marred by battle, smiled. "Ye really are thickheaded. I knew this time would come. The weeks leading up to this, I've been taking treatments. I can't feel pain. Th' last thing that goes through my head will be your stupid armor."

The warrior opened his mouth in indignation, but was interrupted by another, barging into the room. "Praetorian! A number of our soldiers have just opened fire on their own formation, and a number of aircraft from the Brotherhood have been sighted flying alongside a phalanx of the militia known as the Minutemen! They appear to be approaching Caesar's fort!"

"Ye've lost, big ugly."

The soldiers turned to the dying raider with a mixture of fury and anticipation clear on their faces.

"The formula was never here, idiots. We've been playing ye people for fools all this time."

Losing his temper, the Praetorian grabbed her by the shirt, lifting Cait off the ground. "Where did you put it?! What did you do to the formula?! Even the full strength of your various organizations will not be enough to destroy Caesar! We will simply regroup and attack the Commonwealth once more! Save your nation and tell us!"

Cait opened her eyes. Tears of blood were released. Her vision was tainted with rivers of red. She could barely even see, but she looked at the man, who by now was shivering with rage, with a level glare. "Bite my arse, y'savages. We've won."

* * *

 **Under no circumstances should the contents of this tape be read by anyone other than the current user. Never insert this tape into an unfamiliar aperture, or any untrusted terminal. Never inform any aside from the Thirteen Companions of the Sole Survivor of the existence of this tape. Even then, inform them only if absolutely necessary to gain their trust. The directions displayed on each screen will be wiped from the holotape upon proceeding to the following page, so ensure you have carried out any instructions to the fullest before proceeding.**

 **Proceed to the following page upon recognizing these rules and understanding that the consequences may be incredibly vast if any of these specific instructions are disobeyed or not followed to the extent of your ability.**

Destyni gulped in fear. Never before had she even left the confines of Diamond City. She had a feeling there was incredible weight behind the words displayed on the screen. Nevertheless, she read and reread the contents of the tape, over and over, for almost an hour, until she had committed the entire text to memory. Proud of her accomplishment, she finally sat down and proceeded to the following page.

 **This holotape will guide you through the final plan of the Sole Survivor to defend the Commonwealth from any possible hostile action. The details of this plan will be revealed in time. Your first instruction is as follows…**

 **Make your way to Diamond City, and approach the building marked with the sign "Publick Occurences." Knock at the door, and when it is answered, immediately say the phrase, "Piper sent me." Then, follow the occupant until they reach their destination. Upon completion, proceed to the next page.**

"Dez! Dinner's ready!"

"Coming, mom!"

Ejecting the steely green holotape, Destyni could not help but wonder what exactly she had agreed to. Calming her nerves as best she could, she sat down at the dinner table with her parents. Cooked Brahmin meat and mutfruit was the meal today. She ate in silence, savoring the taste. An unshakable, terrifying thought occurred to her…what if this would be her last meal at this table? Her mouth went dry at the thought. But it soon passed, as she realized the importance of her assignment.

Not just the Survivor…all of the Commonwealth depended upon her now. She could not falter, could not waver. This was honorable. Her entire life may as well have been a lead up to the point. All she could do now was follow instructions.

(A/N: I sincerely hope this chapter reads less clunky than I think it does. It was rather awkward to write. I'd like to apologize if it does read that way, and I'd be open to edit suggestions if anyone wants to provide them. Thanks for reading!)


End file.
